i have an 2001 honda civic as Iam driving I hear a rattling noise coming from the front left wheel, I have taken it to several mechanics who cannot seem to find anything wrong, I have heard this on other cars as well, any help would be apreciated
Have those mechanics been able to reproduce the sound? Or is it one of those things where they couldn’t replicate it or didn’t try? Do you know what, exactly they have done?
Noises can travel a lot. Ar you sure its the left front?
What starts and stops the sound? Does anything change it (speed, bumps, turns, etc…) Does the car have plastic wheel covers and have you tried driving without them?
You have to figure that you’ve left folks with little to go on - “several” mechanics who have actually seen and possibly driven the car couldn’t figure it out. We’re flying completely blind with only “rattling noise” to go on. Be more descriptive.
Have You Ever Had The Front Springs Replaced ? Some Of These Little 2001 Civics Have Inadequate Springs. The Lower Coils On The Springs Come In Contact With One Another. I’d Have Them Inspected.
Another area of concern on 2001 Civics is the lower control arm bushings. Cracking and tearing of these compliance bushings is fairly common. Have them ispecte, too.
CSA
it sounds like a rattling noise when you hit bumps and any dips etc on the road the front end is fine bushing, tie rods etc, the hub caps are on tight Iam not meaning to sound vague about it, yes sound does travel your right, I just figure maybe someone else might have had this problem, thanks
the compliance bushings were replaced last year, iam not sure if they checked the springs or not i have 150k on it front struts have been replaced also
A rattle could be caused by a faulty halfshaft, loose hubcap, loose wheel lugs, loose tie rod or tie rod end, loose ball joint, loose brake caliper fit on the yoke, bent brake rotor shield, etc.
If all has been checked and known to not be faulty the ball joint should be considered as that is the one item on the front suspension that can make a person dead if it decides to snap at 60 MPH.
A couple of years ago a guy in a Dodge pickup passed me and I could tell the RF ball joint on his truck was gone. After frantically waving at him as he passed me he apparently acknowledged that he knew about it. This led to my stomping the brakes to get as far away from him as possible.
Tucking in a block or so back so as to call 911 when he went rolling, I was not behind him for more than a minute or so before the ball joint snapped, the entire RF suspension and wheel went sailing through the ditch into the barbed wire fence and his truck skidded into the ditch, luckily without rolling. This is how quick it can happen so never ever overlook the ball joints.
The 100+ feet of gouge he left in the asphalt before leaving the roadway is still there.
When the struts were replaced, did you have the shop replace the upper strut mount as well? This will wear over time, and if they left the originals in when struts were replaced, you would get some rattling from the top of strut whenever you hit a bumpy patch if they are worn out. Also, with 150K on vehicle, I would recommend replacing springs as well - they weaken slowly over time so you wouldn’t notice it - and could be “bouncing” a little in strut cone with new struts installed.